Energy Leadership: Transforming Your Workplace and Your Life from the Core

242 Pages·2007·1.45 MB·English

by  Bruce D. Schneider

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ENERGY
LEADERSHIP
Transforming Your
Workplace and Your
Life from the Core
Bruce D Schneider
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Praise for
ENERGY LEADERSHIP
“You can’t fake your way through life or leadership. Energy Leadership is a
story with a powerful message; one that I predict will positively change the
thinking—and lives—of millions of people from all walks of life.”
—Michael Port, national bestselling author of Book Yourself Solid
“Energy Leadership presents an in-depth look at the being of leaders from
the unique perspective of profiling how they effectively channel their en-
ergy into higher level thinking and creativity. Energy Leadership is a must
read for any person who is a leader, works with leaders, or for anyone seek-
ing to improve their own self-leadership. Coaches, consultants, human re-
source executives, to name a few, should all spend some quality time with
this insightful book. The lessons contained in it are priceless.”
—Margaret Krigbaum, Master Certified Coach
“The implications of this book are far-reaching and transformative for
anyone who is serious about living to their fullest potential. The Energetic
Self-Perception chart is not only a tool for leadership awareness, but I see
it as a map of human evolution—creating understanding of where we’ve
been while guiding readers to a vision of the future.”
—Kurt Wright, author of Breaking the Rules
“It often seems like the most valuable books present something to us that
we didn’t realize that we didn’t know, but that once read, make perfect
and intuitive sense. Energy Leadership is such a book. It looks at life, and
specifically leadership, in a very unique way and offers a recipe for self-
and work-mastery. Truly a one of a kind book.”
—Gil Benjamin, CEO, US Motor Works, LLC
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“We are all composed of energy at our core. This book offers clear, crisp,
and enlightened ways of being in our world. The energy laws are masterfully
described, and if these principles are integrated into how we lead, we are
sure to transform ourselves, our relationships, and our working results.”
—Thomas G. Crane, author of The Heart of Coaching
“After reading this tale of the turnaround of a failing company, I was in-
spired to explore how Energy Leadership could further strengthen my
own organization. After implementing the process, I’ve been amazed at
the attitude and morale improvement of my management team. It’s great
to finally have a guide to what matters most, not only in the workplace,
but also for life.”
—Gary Fisch, CEO/President, Gary’s Wine & Marketplace
“The Energy Leadership System is amazing and has proven to be of ex-
traordinary value. My clients state that they wish they had known about
the System years ago! During the past year, I have also used it with every-
one else in my life and the insights that this work offers, as well as the im-
pact on outcomes, is truly exceptional. I strongly recommend Energy
Leadership to anyone who wants to help others, as well as themselves.”
—Marc V. Weiner, MHA, FACHE, CEC, AELC Executive
Coach/CEO of Empowerment Associates, LLC
“Schneider is a true visionary, and his work will make a big difference in
corporate America.”
—Manos Kazakidis, Manager, Moroso Wire Technologies Inc.
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ENERGY
LEADERSHIP
Transforming Your
Workplace and Your
Life from the Core
Bruce D Schneider
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Copyright © 2008 by Bruce D Schneider. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
Wiley Bicentennial Logo: Richard J. Pacifico.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or
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accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Schneider, Bruce D
Energy leadership : transforming your workplace and your life from the core / Bruce D. Schneider.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-470-18636-7 (cloth)
1. Organizational change—Psychological aspects. 2. Leadership—Psychological aspects.
3. Emotions—Social aspects. 4. Motivation (Psychology)—Social aspects. 5. Employees—
Coaching of. I. Title.
HD58.8S365 2008
658.4'092--dc22
2007024002
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Contents
Foreword vii
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
1 Thank God It’s Monday! 1
2 What Energetic Level Are You? 10
3 Just Give It Six Months 33
4 “I Want It Now!” 51
5 All That “Matters” Is Energy 70
6 Time for a Corporate Shock Treatment? (Level 1) 83
7 Without Fear, What Could You Do? (Level 2) 103
8 The Big Four Energy Blocks 130
9 Removing Obstacles to Success (Level 3) 153
10 Putting Your Heart into Your Job (Level 4) 165
11 The CEO of the Future (Level 5) 185
12 The Power of Partnership: Writing the
Success Script (Levels 6 and 7) 200
Epilogue 216
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Foreword
Energy is one word that I have seen that differentiates great leaders from
average leaders. Great leaders not only have positive energy, they conta-
giously spread this positive energy to others.
Energy Leadership describes the journey of Richard—a leader who
makes the transformation from “barely getting by” to “making a real dif-
ference.”
In my work as an executive coach, I have found that positive
changes at work often produce unplanned positive benefits at home.
As you read about Richard’s journey, you will see how he succeeds,
not just in improving his work life, but how he succeeds in improving
his life!
I have been a Buddhist for almost thirty years. Buddha believed that
his students should not practice what he taught unless it worked in the
context of their own lives. My suggestion is that you approach your read-
ing of Energy Leadership with this same spirit. Try it out! See what works
for you.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to work with Tom Peters, the
author of In Search of Excellence. Tom made a fantastic point about
gaining value from books. He said, “If you walk away with one or two
good ideas—for the price of a book—you have received a wonderful
bargain.”
Energy Leadership presents many fascinating ideas. While you may
feel as “down and out” as Richard feels early in the book, I think that you
can probably relate to many of his challenges. I know that I did!
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